FUD

By Abbas Datti

The Federal University Dutse (FUD) has ushered in a new era of purposeful leadership with the election of Professor Ahmad Muhammad Gumel as its 4th substantive Vice Chancellor, a development widely welcomed across the academic community as a well-deserved victory for merit, experience and vision.

Gumel’s emergence followed a competitive and transparent selection process that drew seasoned academics from across the country. Muhammed Gumel’s victory reflects the confidence of the University’s Governing Council in his proven capacity to lead, innovate and consolidate the gains recorded since the institution’s establishment.

A scholar of high repute, Gumel is widely respected for his intellectual depth, administrative acumen and unwavering commitment to academic excellence. Over the years, he has distinguished himself as a disciplined researcher, an inspiring teacher, and a consensus builder who understands the complexities of managing a growing federal university in a dynamic educational environment.

Colleagues describe him as a visionary leader with a clear understanding of the mandate of Federal University Dutse—to serve as a centre of learning, research and community development. Gumel’s leadership style, marked by inclusiveness, transparency and firm decision-making, is expected to strengthen institutional stability and staff morale while enhancing students’ academic experience.

As the 4th substantive Vice-Chancellor, Gumel is expected to build on the solid foundation laid by his predecessors, with a strong focus on academic quality, research output, infrastructural development, global partnerships and community engagement. Gumel’s background in university governance and strategic planning positions him well to navigate contemporary challenges, including funding constraints, staff development, and the drive for international relevance.

In accepting responsibility, Gumel reaffirmed his commitment to service, pledging to work collaboratively with staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders to advance the university’s vision. He emphasised that leadership is a collective task and expressed readiness to harness the vast human resources within FUD to move the institution to greater heights.

The election of Gumel has been widely celebrated as a triumph of competence and integrity. Many within and outside the university community view his emergence as Vice-Chancellor as timely and reassuring—a signal that Federal University Dutse is firmly on the path of sustainable growth, academic distinction and national relevance.

With Gumel at the helm, expectations are high that FUD will consolidate its reputation as one of Nigeria’s fast-rising federal universities, driven by purposeful leadership and an unrelenting pursuit of excellence.

Abbas Datti writes from Dutse, Jigawa State, via comradeabbasdatti@gmail.com.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

In a symbolic reflection of their field of study, 56 students from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal University Dutse (FUD), have successfully completed their academic journey after 71 months of rigorous training, earning them the tag “the 56 harvested fishes.”

Their journey, which began in December 2019, was not without currents and tides, strikes, pandemics, and academic demands.

But like resilient species in challenging waters with moderate required parameters, they swam through research projects, field trips, industrial training scheme, practicals and other relevant courses.

A jamboree was held to commemorate the voyage that was started 71 months ago and was filled with emotion, laughter, and pride as lecturers and member of the class witnessed the official “harvest.”

For many, it wasn’t just the end of a programme, it was the beginning of new voyages: into aquaculture businesses, research, environmental sustainability, and public service.

One of the graduates, Hafsat Yahaya Gutus, has taken the attention of the event in reminiscing how the journey started from 2019 and ended with a jocular statement, “we started as fingerlings, survived like juveniles, and we are now fully grown broodstocks ready to restock the world.”

At the end of the graduation ceremony the HOD and other attending lecturers of the department urged the graduates to put what they were taught into practice warning that letting their six years of hard work go to waste would be a boondoggle.

By Anwar Usman

The Federal University Dutse, Jigawa, has raised alarm urging the public to disregard a fake webpage purportedly designed for 2025/2026 admission into the institution.

This was disclosed in a statement issued by the acting Director of Public Affairs, Alhaji Abdullahi Yahaya Bello, on Tuesday in Dutse.

Yahaya Bello said that the attention of the management of the university had been drawn to a fake institution’s website address and private mailbag, which was being used to scam unsuspecting admission seekers of their hard-earned money.

He noted that, the admission process at the university has not yet commenced.

“We only advertised our cut-off mark last week, and we are yet to announce a date for Post-UTME Screening.

“The university has an established channel of communication through its verified official website and official social media handles, and prospective applicants should only rely on these sources for information,” he said.

He urged applicants to ignore the fake phone numbers displayed on the fake website, noting that admission into the university is strictly based on merit and established JAMB admission criteria.

The Federal University Dutse (FUD) recently conducted its 8th and 9th Convocation Ceremony, marking a significant milestone for its graduating students.

The ceremony was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Prof. Abdullahi Yusuf Ribadu, who represented the President of Nigeria, HE Bola Ahmad Tinubu.

A total of 209 students were awarded First Class honors, highlighting the university’s commitment to academic excellence.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) of the university, Prof. Abdulkarim Muhammad Sabo, expressed his gratitude to the Jigawa State Government for their support, stating that they have been the university’s “top friend.”

He appreciated their donation of hundreds of hectares of land for construction purposes. The VC also reflected on his achievements during his tenure, as he prepares to leave office in the coming months.

Two students stood out during the convocation ceremony, winning the overall best student award for their respective academic sessions. Oladele Yusuf Olatunji from the Mathematics department won the award for the 2022/2023 session with a Cumulative Grade Average (CGA) of 4.92.

Yekini Hameed Ishola from the Faculty of Management Science won the award for the 2023/2024 session with a CGA of 4.95.

Yekini expressed his gratitude, saying, “I am deeply honored and humbled to be recognized as the Best Graduating Student. This moment is not just a personal achievement, it is a reflection of the sacrifices of parents, the dedication of teachers, the support of peers and the grace of God.”

The Governor’s Award was presented to the best graduating students of Economics and Accounting for the two academic sessions, with each recipient receiving a token of 250,000 naira.

Hadiza Aminu, a graduate of Biology for the 2022/2023 session, expressed her elation at finally achieving her dream of becoming a Biology graduate.

She thanked her parents, relatives, teachers, and friends for their support, saying, “Thanks to parents, relatives, teachers, and friends for their enormous support and dedication.”

The convocation ceremony, which saw a total of 4227 graduands, was preceded by a Convocation Lecture delivered by the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Jibrilla Dahiru Amin.

The lecture, titled “Harnessing Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Higher Education Institutions,” was chaired by Prof. Fatima Batul Mukhtar, a former VC of the university. The ceremony marked a significant milestone for the graduating students, who are in now poised to make their mark in their respective fields.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

Federal University Dutse (FUD) is set to convoke a total of 4,227 students in a combined convocation ceremony for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.

This was announced by the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Abdulkarim Sabo Muhammad, during a pre-convocation press briefing, where he outlined the preparations and schedules for the event.

The convocation ceremony is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 5th, 2025, by 9:30 am.

A convocation lecture will precede the ceremony on Friday, July 4th, 2025, at 4:00 pm at the Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi Auditorium.

The lecture, titled “Harnessing Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development in Nigeria: The Role of Higher Education Institutions,” will be delivered by Guest Professor Jibrilla Dahiru Amin, the pioneer VC of the university.

According to the VC, a total of 99 and 110 students graduated with First Class honors in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions, respectively.

Additionally, 544 and 727 students graduated with Second Class Upper Division in the respective sessions, while 879 and 115 students graduated with Second Class Lower Division.

Furthermore, 321 and 283 students graduated with Third Class honors in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions, respectively.

The VC highlighted some of the remarkable achievements of his tenure, including the university’s attractiveness to prospective students, with around 20,000 applicants seeking admission annually.

Other notable achievements include improvements in student and staff welfare, physical infrastructure development, introduction of new faculties and departments, enhanced security, research grant wins, and digital transformation, among others.

By Ibrahim Yunusa

The governing council of Federal University Dutse through its secretary as well as registrar of the varsity, Alhaji Abubakar Mijinyawa, has announced the abolishment of the part-payment of 60 and 40 percent for first and second semester registration of undergraduate students.

The statement said that the fourth governing council of FUD has received in its third meeting the report and recommendations from the finance and general purposes committee on the management’s request for abolishing the 60 and 40 percent of registration fees for undergraduates with effect from 2024/2025 academic session.

Giving the reason of annulling the part-payment, the registrar said that, “the 60% and 40% adversely affect the functionality of the university’s portal and after due consideration of the proposal the governing council directed the school management to abolish the part-payment to maintain the stability in the university’s financial record and portal “.

The statement added that the introduction of NELFUND Student Loan Scheme by the federal government reduces the burden of payment of registration fees of the students in which the fund offers 100% payment of registration to the beneficiaries of the scheme.

By Sabiu Abdullahi 

Over 4,000 students from Kano State studying at the Federal University Dutse (FUD) in Jigawa State are facing a crisis as they are unable to afford the new tuition fees imposed by the university management. 

The National Association of Kano State Students (NAKSS) revealed that the tuition fee increment, which raised the fees from N30,000 to N40,000 to a minimum of N100,000, has left thousands of students in a precarious situation. 

During a peaceful protest at the university on Tuesday, affected students pleaded with the Kano State Government and their political representatives to help them pay their outstanding fees, allowing them to sit for the upcoming second-semester examination scheduled for next week. 

The students’ union government spokesperson, Ibrahim Yunusa, stated that since the announcement of the 200 per cent school fee increment in January, many students and their parents have been struggling to meet the financial demands. 

Yunusa commended the FUD management for permitting indigenous students to pay their fees in instalments, with N60,000 due in the first semester and the remaining N40,000 in the second semester. 

However, he highlighted that, despite this concession, more than 40 per cent of the students have not been able to pay the remaining balance, putting them at risk of being dismissed from the university. 

“We’ve been calling the attention of the Kano State government to come to our help and pay the school fees for us,” said Yunusa. 

He also noted that letters were sent to the Kano State government. Although they received a reply directing them to the office of the Commissioner for Higher Education, no further action has been taken. 

The deadline for registration is just six days away, and if the remaining fees are not paid, the affected students will automatically dismiss themselves from the school. 

The students’ plight has drawn attention to the larger issue of affordable education and the challenges faced by students from low-income families. 

Kano State Commissioner for Higher Education, Yusuf Kofar Mata, has not responded to calls and text messages seeking comments on the matter, leaving the students uncertain regarding their educational future.